Id be delighted
I think they could make some headway in the playoffs
How could they do it? I think its possible
Step 1. AB to Jazz or Thunder for pick 12 or 14 and change (now 35 mil cap space)
Step 2. Sign Middleton and Harris to max deals 16 mil a piece (now 3 mil cap space)
Step 3. Package Wallace and #28 to a team like Philly (14 mil)
Step 4. Trade future #2 pick to eat entire Hibbert salary.
Step 5. Match any offers for Crowder
Step 6. Select Oubre at 12, Harrell at 16, George Lucas/Dakari Johnson/Tyler Harvey/Upshaw at 33
Just want to point out a slight logistical problem I see in many offseason plans posted around here (not picking on you, I've seen it a number of times):
The NBA Draft is June 25, while Free Agency doesn't begin until July 1 and FAs can't actually sign until July 8 (this year).
So 2015 picks that are getting traded have to be traded BEFORE free agents decide where to sign.
Meaning that in your example (a) that you'd be risking moving Bradley for just a pick and whiffing on free agents and (b) Step 2 & 5 would happen after Step 6.
Id be delighted
Step 1. AB to Jazz or Thunder for pick 12 or 14 and change (now 35 mil cap space)
Step 3. Package Wallace and #28 to a team like Philly (14 mil)
Step 4. Trade future #2 pick to eat entire Hibbert salary.
Step 6. Select Oubre at 12, Harrell at 16, George Lucas/Dakari Johnson/Tyler Harvey/Upshaw at 33
---
Step 2. Sign Middleton and Harris to max deals 16 mil a piece (now 3 mil cap space)
Step 5. Match any offers for Crowder
IMO, it's a subtle but important added risk in a multi-stage process.
Where you might be able to move 2015 picks (and other players and picks) for players currently under contract (Batum, Farried, Lawson, et al.), it'd be very risky to move a rotation player on a good contract just to open up (even) more cap room with no real guarantee of adding someone.
If we had 1-2 superstars already and were looking for a final piece, maybe you take that risk. But IMO a team like this Celtics one with a lot of good but not great players, other paths to clearing max cap room, and realistically more draft picks than we'd be able to use already, it's a very lateral (if not potentially backwards) move.